


Keeping Each Other Sane

by 2tubborn2hiipper



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Apocalypsestuck, Gen, Gore, Humanstuck, M/M, Probably Abandoned, Sadstuck, a bit - Freeform, i might add more but i doubt it, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-26
Updated: 2014-05-10
Packaged: 2018-01-20 20:50:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1525190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2tubborn2hiipper/pseuds/2tubborn2hiipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"a husk of a man walked out slowly, eyes empty and glassy, wild smile stretching his lips into a grotesque comical grin as his darting gaze settled on them"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I dunno, I wanted to try a new style, and I REALLY wanted to try my hand at an apocolypsestuck AU.  
> I will probably write more chapters of other characters, but for now, I'm going to leave this here.

She dragged her feet, walking slowly. Her companion was walking ahead, hiding his exhaustion well and trying to be strong for her.

“We need to keep moving. The sun will go down soon, and we need shelter before the rabids come out.” He said, turning and walking back to her.

“I know but I’m just so tired…”

“Shall I carry you?”

“But aren’t you tired as well?” She flinched as she remembered how she used to say ‘mew’ instead of ‘you’.

Her old puns, that sense of humour, was long gone, gone with her usual cheery personality.

“Not as much as you are. Look, that looks like some buildings up ahead.” He crouched down. “Here, climb on, I can carry you that far at least.”

She offered him a grateful smile and climbed on his back. He straightened, swaying a little, but regaining his balance quickly. He began to walk. They both remained silent, remembering how they used to play like this, he would be her noble steed as she rescued the princess. How did everything go so horribly wrong?

He staggered as they reached the broken buildings, and she slipped out of his grip so she wouldn’t weigh him down anymore.

“I’m fi-“ He started.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You can barely hold yourself up. Hopefully there will be some food here and somewhere to sleep, or at least rest… Looks like it used to be a mall…”

She clicked the button on her gloves that extended her claws. She admired how smoothly they came out. He had made them for her when they came across an abandoned garage, shortly after it all ended. They had only been young, around fourteen. She can’t really remember. But with his strength and her reflexes, they’d somehow managed to survive, moving during the day and taking shelter at night.

“ready?” He asked, concern colouring his voice.

“as I’ll ever be.” She said back, a small smile as she squeezed his hand briefly. They ventured forward together, tense and prepared, the years of fighting, running and hiding making them cautious as they ventured through the ruined remains.

They found what looked like it used to be a grocery store, seeming to be already ransacked. They  checked behind shelves, experience telling them that sometimes cans of food were knocked down and left unnoticed in the initial panic.

She drooled as he held up a can of fruit in triumph after digging around a bit. He pulled out a can opener they had found and handed both items to her, the one and only time he had tried he had accidentally broken the opener, and nearly lost all the food when he crushed the can with a brick in frustration.

She worked the can opener carefully, it was rusty and it was hard to find them lately, and drank half of the juice first before passing it to him. He drank the rest, and scooped half the fruit for himself before handing it back. He knew that if he didn’t at least try to make their portions even, she would refuse to eat until he did.

No longer starving and thirsts partially quenched, they continued, clearing out the store and filling their bags as much as was practical. They lucked out and found another can opener dropped under some shelves, and took it for when their one breaks. They were about to move to another store that seemed good shelter when they heard a growl from a nearby room. The door creaked open and he pulled her behind him, readying his fists. They could smell the stench of rotting flesh, and they could  see a body (if it could still be called that, they could see even from that angle, that it was badly mutilated) a husk of a man walked out slowly, eyes empty and glassy, wild smile stretching his lips into a grotesque comical grin as his darting gaze settled on them.

They recognised him. That always made it harder. He was so kind, a good friend in their youth, with a relaxed attitude and great humour. A crazy laugh tore itself from his throat as he began to creep closer to them, stalking. He… No. Not ‘He’ anymore. It got closer and closer before leaping at them suddenly.

“I’m sorry…” He muttered, before throwing a punch, intending to crack its skull. It fell limply to the floor for a few moments... then slowly got up. They stared in horror at the grin still on its now broken face.

“Moth…er…fu…ck...er.” It rasped out.

“Oh god… He- _it_ still speaks…” She said in a quiet, terrified voice. He pushed her towards the exit, despite her fighting him, but the Rabid saw her and lunged. She lashed out, claws catching on its face. Blood poured from the scars and it stopped in surprise. He took the opportunity to punch it in the side of the head. He pinned it to the ground and continued punching, until he was certain it would never get up again, until its head was an unrecognisable mess.

He stood, and walked over to her, putting his arms around her as her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

“What are we going to do… what’s going to happen to us?” she cried into his chest, clinging to him.

“I…” he had n words of comfort, no certainties he could give her but one. “I don’t know, but know this. I will always be here to protect you. I will stay with you, and we will keep each other from losing our minds and becoming like them.”

She pulled back slightly a small smile on her face that didn’t reach her teary eyes.

“Come on… we’d better get moving.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I found something to eat! It’s not much but it’s something at least!”   
>  “That’s great, Tavbro, but you gotta be motherfucking quiet. We still ain’t got a clue as to whether anyone else is all up in this building yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My babies :'( Why do I do these things to myself?

“Aw…. Shit… My wheel's stuck again.” You muttered.

“Here, bro, I’ll give you a hand” Gamzee leaned down; pulling the wheel out of the pothole in the road you had gotten stuck in.

“I’m… I’m sorry…. I’m just slowing you down, Gam… maybe you should just go on ahead… I’m sure I’ll be okay…” You refused to look the taller boy in the face.

Gamzee grabbed your chin, forcing you to look in his eyes.

“Don’t even say that shit, Tavbro… I ain’t leaving you, and you ain’t slowing me down. Don’t you motherfucking worry your sweet little head about it.” You had closed your eyes as he kissed your forehead

_Gamzee?_

He gave you a lazy smile. If it weren’t for him you probably would have broken down. He saved you when your brother had contracted the virus and nearly killed you. He’s stayed with you, even while you wrestled yourself (mostly with his help) out of ditches and potholes and mud and all kinds of other obstacles, never once complaining, even though you knew, despite his reassurances, you were slowing him down, hindering his movements.

“This place looks pretty decent, maybe we can hole up in here for the night, get our rest on.”

‘Pretty decent’ to Gamzee was a roof, walls, and minimal holes to board up. It would be fine for one night, but, like you do every time you find a new place to hide at night, all you cared about was the chance that there would be more food. You’d even take a can of fruit, even though you hate canned fruit, at this point.

You followed Gamzee in anyway. Food or not, a hiding place was a hiding place, and you’d really rather not be stuck out in the open when the sun goes down and those things come out.

_Tav… Tav you need to leave…._

You got inside and Gamzee closed the door behind you, grunting in disapproval of how weak it looks.

“I’m… gonna go look for some food” you said quietly.

“Kay bro… be careful.” He handed you his knife. “take this, but if anything comes after you, you come right back here you got it?” he asked seriously

“Yeah, Gamz. I will.” You placed his knife carefully in your lap, and began exploring. It was difficult to get around in your wheelchair with all the debris on the ground, but you managed. You looked for some  sort of kitchen or storeroom, hoping to find some kind of food.

There was a single, small can of spaghetti in the back of a cupboard, you had smiled slightly. It wasn’t much, but you could half it and it would at least stop you from starving. Your stomach had growled at the thought of the food, and you called out to Gamzee.

“I found something to eat! It’s not much but it’s something at least!” Gamzee came into the kitchen.

 “That’s great, Tavbro, but you gotta be motherfucking quiet. We still ain’t got a clue as to whether anyone else is all up in this building yet.”

As if on cue, there was a low growl, and thumping noises from the next room over. Gamzee pulled his club out of the holder he built (an old juggling club he had when he was young) and had stood in front of you. You readied the knife just in case it got past him.

_No. Gamzee… I don’t want to leave you!_

It came out of the shadow of the doorway, looking at you blankly. Directly at you. Gamzee tensed and you stared. Didn’t dare to blink as it slowly tilted it’s head to one side.

It was fast.

Mouth open as a snarl tore out of its throat, it lunged at you. Gamzee swung his club around to smash it in the face. He was very strong despite his lanky frame, and the rabid was knocked back, hitting the wall.

_Tavros… you gotta motherfucking get outta here. I ain’t safe._

“Close your eyes Tav.” Gamzee had said quietly. You did, but you couldn’t ignore the sickening crunch as he smashed it’s skull in. You suddenly weren’t so hungry anymore. You felt Gamzee take hold of your chair and push you out of the room, and didn’t open your eyes until the chair stopped moving and Gamzee tapped your hand gently.

There was a new blood stain on his shirt and club, and you had automatically scanned him for injuries, finding none and breathing a soft sigh of relief. He went back into the kitchen for a moment to grab the can of spaghetti. He took his knife off you and used it to cut off the top of the can. Automatically you had held your hands under it, catching what fell out to avoid wasting any.

You let him take the first try, cleaning what had fallen off of your hands. Gamzee smirked slightly as you licked your fingers and you blushed. He handed the can to you once he had his share, and you had felt like your stomach was trying to jump out of your throat to get to the food. You hummed happily at the taste. It ordinarily wouldn’t have tasted so good, but it had been so long without food, and so long since you had anything other than stale bread or canned fruit, it was like a five star meal.

_But…._

While you were eating, Gamzee had finished boarding up the front door, and dragged in an old mattress from another room, before blocking off the other door with a bookcase, and pushing a ratty, broken lounge in front of it. He helped you out of your chair to lie down, and had laid next to you. You’d turned your head to kiss him, and he smiled against your lips. You’d pulled back and blushed, and he smiled his lazy smile, turning to his side so he could put one arm under you, and wrap his other one around you, pulling you close.

_Tav… please, don’t cry…. Get outta here. Get far away. I don’t want to motherfucking hurt you bro._

It was moments like this you could almost forget what was happening.

You tangled your fingers in his shirt. It was his favourite one, he’d bought it at a carnival he had gone to with some friends. Closing your eyes, you tried to relax enough to sleep. It was difficult, until he started drawing soothing patterns on your back with his fingers.

_Gamzee… I love you._

“Love you, Gamz.”

“Love you too, Tav.”

**Author's Note:**

> http://help-im-a-skelesinner.tumblr.com/post/83991344760/right-so-after-i-wrote-this-i-couldnt-stop  
> Just in case You guys were wondering what Gamzee would have looked like, plus a little background info on "Rabids"


End file.
